09/14/2011

White Man's Burden

Speaking of civilizing the savage, over a century ago, just around the opening of the 20th century, Rudyard Kipling penned a short poem called the White Man's Burden, penned about America's introduction into the art of imperialism. Theodore Roosevelt and other war mongers achieved a fait accompli in grabbing the Philippines, Guam, and Cuba from Spain in the Spanish American War.

The people of the Philippines were already revolting and continued revolting against Spain with the blessing of American forces until the Spain ceded the island to the US for 20 million dollars in the Treaty of Paris. The people of the Philippines glad to be rid of one oppressor quickly found themselves under the thumb of another and promptly revolted against the American regime1899-1902 and continued in guerrilla fashion well afterwards.

The White Man's Burden of Kipling Era was in essence an attempt to civilize "the savage" in the empire. Civilizing the savage involved beating them into submission by any means available including total warfare against the native civilian population. That ended up involving forcing civilians into concentration camps and declaring everything outside a dead zone to be destroyed. Everyone and everything, crops, livestock, buildings, people, not inside the camps was to be destroyed. All civilians that dared defy the decree were valid targets of war - "enemy combatants" if you will under the rules of engagement.

There were numerous other atrocities committed, torture (specifically waterboarding) was used on captives, soldiers demeaned and denigrated the native civilian population and were largely indifferent to their welfare in the concentration camps.

The entire American venture in the Phillipines should seems familiar. The argument is no longer "civilizing the savages" since that is considered too demeaning of the occupied population. The new rationale is "bringing democracy." But the rhyme of history should be abundantly clear. A similar insurgency, a similar total warfare, a similar use of torture, a similar unnecessary cost, and perhaps a similar outcome. While US promised independence to the country, it would be nearly 50 years until 1946 and after World War II that it was finally granted.